Fox and French Horn

Fox and French Horn is an establishment whose afternoon quiet is shaped by Old Deuteronomy’s sleep. In the brief scene set there, its landlady enforces that quiet by clearing the men out through the back door rather than risk waking him.

Setting and Use

Old Deuteronomy lies on the floor of Fox and French Horn for his afternoon sleep. The men are there long enough to be considering one more, suggesting a place where they can linger over drinks; the passage gives no further description of its furnishings or layout.

The Afternoon Eviction

When the men say there is time for one more, the landlady appears from the back parlour and orders them out by the back door. She explains that Old Deuteronomy must not be woken and threatens to call the police if there is any uproar. The men comply, shuffling out without a word.

Narrative Function

The scene makes Fox and French Horn a small threshold between convivial lingering and enforced quiet: the men’s intended last round gives way to the landlady’s practical authority and the need to protect Old Deuteronomy’s sleep. Their silent departure completes the episode without a confrontation, while the threatened police call establishes the consequence she is prepared to impose if they resist.